Wagon running-gear.



No. 727,043. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

L. A. WHEELER. WAGON RUNNING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

. eAfiargz ys I inns co. wnofournm wuumnron n c Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFIGE.

LEMUEL A. WHEELER, PAWNEE CITY, NEBRASKA.

WAGON RUNNING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 727,043, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed anuary 14, 1203. Serial No. 139,059. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUEL A. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pawnee City, in the county of Pawnee and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful W'agon Running-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wagon runninggears, and is especially directed to that class of devices in which the reach-beam is adj ustable to vary the distance between the front and rear axles, and has for its objects to produce a device of this character in which the parts will be more securely braced and strengthened to impart rigidity to the structure, thus increasing its durability, and this without materially increasing the cost of manufacture owing to the simplified form of bracing means.

The invention comprises the details of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a wagon running-gear having my invention embodied therein. is a perspective View of the bracing member. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

1 indicates the front axle, having a bolster 2 mounted thereon, 3 the rear axle, having a bolsterat mounted thereon, and 5 and 6 hounds attached to the rear axle between the same and the bolster 4: and converging therefrom toward the central reach-beam 7.

All of the foregoing parts may be of the usual or any desired construction and may be connected in any suitable manner except such parts as are connected in accordance with the present invention.

In applying my invention I provide a metal sheath or casing 8, which loosely surrounds the reach-beam and embraces the same and the adjacent ends of the hounds.

9 and 10 are arms or braces bolted or otherwise secured to the sheath and projecting rearwardly therefrom along the outer faces of the hounds 5 and 6, respectively.

11 and 12 are straps which connect the rear ends of the braces and extend across the upper and lower faces of the hounds and reachversely of the same.

Fig. 2

beam with their ends bent around the ends of thebraces 9 and 10 and are secured by bolts or otherwise to the hounds.

13 and 14 are connecting-bolts arranged vertically one at each side of the reach-beam between the straps 11 and 12 and constitute guides for the reach-beam when moved longitudinally to vary the distance between the front and rear axles.

15 and 16 are braces, preferably formed integral with and constituting a continuation of the braces 9 and 10. These braces 15 and 16 are connected in any suitable manner to V the sheath, and project forwardly of the same and extend along the longitudinal sides of the reach-beam, terminating at-a point near the front axle. These braces are connected at intervals between the sheath and their terminal ends by straps 17, 18, and 19, which loosely embrace the reach-beam and lie trans- The straps are provided with suitable holes or perforations 20, for the purpose to be presently described.

21 is a plate which extends fore and aft from the sheath or casing longitudinally of the upper face of the reach-beam and connects forward of the sheath with the straps l7, l8, and 19 and in rear of the sheet extends to the rear bolster and has its end bent upwardly and attached thereto by a bolt or otherwise. 22 is a similar plate, which lies along the under face of the reach-beam and is connected to the straps forward of the sheath and to the rear axle in a manner similar to the plate 21.

The reach-beam, which is connected at its front end between the axle 1 and bolster 2, as usual, is provided at intervals throughout its length with vertical holes 23 and is adapted to slide freely in the sheath and between the braces 15 and 16, the sheath being provided in its upper and lower faces with holes 24,

adapted to register with the respective holes to admit of the insertion of bolts 26, as shown in Fig. 3, for further securing and bracing the parts.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I produce a running-gear in which the reach-beam may be readily adjusted longitudinally to vary the distance between the front and rear axles, and that in attaining this end I provide for securely strengthening and bracing the various parts of the structure, and this without materially increasing the cost of production. In attaining these ends I do not limit myself to the precise details herein shown and described, as various changes maybe made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- In a vehicle running-gear, the combination with a front and rear axle and bolster, of rear hounds, a reach-beam provided with a plurality of perforations, asheath embracing the reach-beam and the adjacent ends of the hounds, rear braces extending from the sheath along the sides of the hounds, straps connecting the braces, front braces extending from the sheath along the sides of the reach-beam, plates extending fore and aft from the sheath along the top and bottom of the reach-beam with their rear ends connected respectively to the rear bolster and axle, said plates being coextensive forward of the sheath with the front braces, a plurality of straps connecting the braces and top and bottom plates at intervals forward of the sheath and. embracing the reach-beam, and bolts extending through the sheath and the connecting-straps and reach-beam.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEMUEL A. WHEELER.

VYitnesses:

O. M. WHITCOMB, H. Z. OWEN. 

